What is "High School" to you?

[fivetails]

I got curious, after seeing so many people around here talk about Grade 9 as high school - because we've always known "High School" as 10-12. That's what it was when I was in school, and that's how the ps system that our kids were in before also runs.

 

1-6 = Elementary

 

7-9 = Junior High

 

10-12 = High School

 

So what is it for you?

 

eta: poll is now in place

 

 

ETA2: Kindergarten, in our current province, is in with elementary...I think... back where we're from, K classes are held at daycares, although they're free now. I think they might be looking at moving them into the schools.

Edited May 25, 2010 by fivetails

[vonfirmath]

K-4 elementary

 

5 -- school of its own

 

6-8 -- middle school

 

9-12 -- high school

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

Around here, middle school is 6-8 and high school is 9-12.

[MamaT]

When I was growing up it was:

 

7-9 - Junior High

10-12 - High School

 

The way I think of it now, and the way it is around here in ps is:

 

6-8 - Middle School

9-12 - High School

[Orthodox6]

School systems differ. For example, the concept of "middle school" was invented decades after I left the school system.

 

We had the strange situation of only grades 10-12 were housed in a building called a "high school". (Grades 7-9 were in a building called a "junior high.") What made things odd was that our grades for the 9th grade "counted" as part of the cumulative four-years of "high school". Our class standing and grade point included the results of all 9th grade coursework. So "on paper" we were in "high school", but socially, we still were in "junior high". :confused:

[Laura Corin]

Confusing is what it is. Mostly we don't use the term 'high school', but it sometimes is used for ages 11 to 18 and occasionally for ages 14 to 18. In general, the terms used are primary school (ages 4/5 to 11/12) and senior school (ages 11/12 to 17/18). Sometimes senior school is split, so that the last two years are called 'sixth form' and may be in a separate sixth form college.

 

Laura

[snickelfritz]

9-12

 

High school credits start accumulating in 9th grade...sometimes in 8th, if they take algebra then.

 

 

ETA. Local school districts are so big that they have a variety of divisions. 9 & 10 separated from 11 & 12. A center that is just for 6th graders, etc.

Edited May 25, 2010 by snickelfritz

[elegantlion]

School systems differ. For example, the concept of "middle school" was invented decades after I left the school system.

 

We had the strange situation of only grades 10-12 were housed in a building called a "high school". (Grades 7-9 were in a building called a "junior high.") What made things odd was that our grades for the 9th grade "counted" as part of the cumulative four-years of "high school". Our class standing and grade point included the results of all 9th grade coursework. So "on paper" we were in "high school", but socially, we still were in "junior high". :confused:

 

This is how it was when I was in school.

 

In our current area elementary is K-5, middle school is 6-8, and high school is 9-12, each housed on a separate campus.

[Parrothead]

K=K

1-6 = grammar school

7&8 = jr. high

9-12 = high school

 

Confusing is what it is. Mostly we don't use the term 'high school', but it sometimes is used for ages 11 to 18 and occasionally for ages 14 to 18. In general, the terms used are primary school (ages 4/5 to 11/12) and senior school (ages 11/12 to 17/18). Sometimes senior school is split, so that the last two years are called 'sixth form' and may be in a separate sixth form college.

 

Laura

I always knew things there were different from here. I'm glad you explained it. I think I had the general idea correct.

[In The Great White North]

When I was in school, it was 7-9 junior high and 10-12 high school. However, when I was a senior, they moved one junior high's 9th graders to the high school because of crowding, so they got 9-12, while the rest of the town got 10-12. Kind of unfair for sports, because the kids at the high school had a lot more sports than the junior high. Their grade point was for 9-12 also, while mine was for 10-12.

 

Around here it is 9-12.

[orangearrow]

I voted 9-12. Although "high school" was 10-12 when I was a kid - that 9th grade year was technically counted as our first year of high school. Now, the high schools around here are grades 9-12 in the same building.

[angela in ohio]

When I was growing up it was:

 

7-9 - Junior High

10-12 - High School

 

The way I think of it now, and the way it is around here in ps is:

 

6-8 - Middle School

9-12 - High School

 

Yep. I went to junior high for 7-9 (while 10-12 went to senior high,) then I was part of the first group of students in the new high school that was 9-12. Then they made the old junior high (7-8 grade) a middle school and brought up 6th graders a few years later. Really 7-12 was all high school when I was younger, just junior and senior high split.

 

Either way, colleges want 9-12 grade courses for high school transcripts.

[JoyfulMama]

Where I grew up:

K-4 = Elementary

5-8 = Middle School

9-12 = High School,

even though the high school housed the 8th grade wing.

 

However where I am now, Middle School starts with 6th or 7th grade. I don't know which one. I must learn the local lingo.

[QueenCat]

K-5th: Elementary

6th-8th: Middle School

9th-12th: High School

 

It was that way growing up in MD (in the 70's and early 80's), and where the kids started school in GA (90's-present). It's the same here in TN. But what really matters is that colleges will be looking at your transcripts from 9th-12th grade, regardless of what one calls high school.

[fivetails]

 

Either way, colleges want 9-12 grade courses for high school transcripts.

 

See, that couldn't work where we're from - because there are no "credits" or whatever for grade nine classes...grade nine isn't much different than grade eight - you don't choose any "electives" or stuff like that, it's just the same. Math, Science, Social Studies, English, etc etc. One level of classes. When you get over to the high school, then you have different levels (Practical, General, Academic, Honours) and you have some choices in your classes - which Social Studies do you want: Canadian History, Ancient History, Economics, Canadian Law, etc etc... (The 10s don't get as much choice as the 11s and 12s, I don't think) ...

 

 

I should look and see what the ps system does here - I'm going by the set up back east, because that's what I know. I'm not sure what Alberta does...

[AHASRADA]

I think a few posters have brought up a good point. In the US school system, high school (concerning transcripts of courses counting toward college admission) is 9-12, with some courses from grade 8 counting if they are at a "high school" level (Algebra, foreign language, etc.)

 

Which grades are housed in which building tends to be based largely on population and capacity, but doesn't necessarily affect the curriculum or level taught at each grade. The break between elementary and middle school and junior high isn't really important; some rural areas could even have K-12 in one building (once common, but becoming rare). Therefore, the true distinction is, the moment at which one's course selections and credits will be reflected on his/her permanent transcript, to be submitted to employers and institutions of higher education: 9-12 (in the US).

 

Just for fun, when I was a kid:

 

K: (private and optional, at church or a private pre-school)

1-3: elementary school

4: still elementary school, but in a different building due to overcrowding

5-8: middle school

9-12: high school

 

When my mom attended the same high school, it was 7-12, with the 7th & 8th graders in their own "Jr. High" wing.

 

Now, in Quebec, elementary is K-6, secondary is 7-11 (no grade 12). However, the years that primarily count toward graduation and college admission are grades 10 & 11.

 

I would be interested to hear how other provinces and countries divide their levels.

[TKDmom]

Elementary: K-6

Jr High: 7-8

High School: 9-12

[fivetails]

 

Now, in Quebec, elementary is K-6, secondary is 7-11 (no grade 12). However, the years that primarily count toward graduation and college admission are grades 10 & 11.

 

 

Quebec doesn't have gr 12? Interesting...I didn't know that!

 

Ha - makes for an interesting response to the question from employers "Do you have your grade twelve?" :laugh:

 

Ontario doesn't have that weird grade 13 thing anymore, I heard.

[Carrie12345]

Where I grew up *then:

K-4, elementary

5-8, middle

9-12, high

 

Where I grew up *now:

K-1, elem

2-3, elem

4-5, elem (all separate buildings)

6-8, middle

9-12, high

 

Where I am now, and how it is now (it's changed since we've been here, but I don't remember the previous groupings)

K-5, elem

6-7, intermediate

8-9, junior high

10-12, high

 

But, like I said before, 9-12 are still high school, even though 9th is in a different building.

 

ETA: Dh went to a K-12 school.

[Hannah]

We have Primary School (grades 1-7) and High School (grades 8-12).

Grade 1 starts in the year that you turn 7. The school year starts in Jan and the cut-off is 31 Dec.

K is not compulsory and can be either at a Nursery School or part of a Primary School.

[NanceXToo]

When I was growing up, in NY, K-6 was elementary school, 7-9 was junior high school, and 10-12 was high school. So that's the way I think of it.

 

Now I live in PA and these days, around here, K-4 is elementary school, 5-8 is middle school, and 9-12 is high school.

 

But I still think of 10-12 as high school, because that's how it was when I was growing up, I guess!

[Orthodox6]

I

Now, in Quebec, elementary is K-6, secondary is 7-11 (no grade 12). However, the years that primarily count toward graduation and college admission are grades 10 & 11.

 

I would be interested to hear how other provinces and countries divide their levels.

 

I'm glad that you posted details. I was on the phone the other day with my friend in Montreal, and we confused each other so much ! I was trying to explain the concept of a "community college". She was trying to explain the concept of something that was a two-year option, but it came out sounding as if it belonged to the high school, as well as to the college-level. I gave up ! She gave up when I tried to explain that a university legally may grant master's and doctoral degrees, whereas a college legally may grant only a bachelor's degree -- that is, when the historical distinctions are observed !

 

Shifting gears, I don't see how any high school could give credit for any coursework taken in the 8th grade, as nowhere is 8th grade considered high school. :confused:

[myfunnybunch]

K-5th: Elementary

6th-8th: Middle School

9th-12th: High School

 

This is how the grades are split in our district.

 

When I was growing up, 6th graders were still in elementary school; middle school was 7th and 8th grades only.

 

Cat

[The Girls' Mom]

When I was in the 6th grade, our school district changed from jr. high to middle school. So it was k-5 elementary, 6-8 middle school, and 9-12 high school.

 

Then I changed districts and went to a K-12 school, but 9th grade was still considered high school level.

[Wheres Toto]

When I was in school K-6th in elementary school, 7-8 in middle school (4-5 elementary schools sent kids here) and 9-12 in high school.

 

Where I live now - K-8 in one building but 7-8 are considered Junior High and there is more switching rooms for classes (we live in a small town). 9-12 at the high school in another town (send/receive relationship).

 

My oldest went to elementary and junior high in a different town and they were set up differently (it was a much larger town): K-1st in one building, 2nd -3rd in another, 4th-5th in another, 6th-8th in the middle school and 9th-12th in the high school.

 

I know around here there's a trend toward putting the 6th graders and sometimes the 9th graders with the Junior High. I agree that it seems to vary based on student populations and the size of the school building (although people say its due to the age/maturity of the students).

 

Colleges will look for at least 4 years of "high school" classes on a transcript.

[Hillary in KS]

I went to a junior high, which had grades 7-9. My high school was grades 10-12.

 

But 9th grade was still considered part of high school.

 

I've never heard of 9th grade not being considered a part of high school, whether or not it was in the same building. :confused:

[nono]

Around here, ps is broken into K-8 = elementary and 9-12 = high. Same as is done for the private schools.

[Matryoshka]

Where I grew up, 1-6 was elementary (there was no public K in town!), 7-8 was jr. high, and 9-12 was high school. I attended a private Catholic high school, which was also 9-12.

 

My dh grew up less than 20 miles away and his high school was 10-12.

 

It seems almost everyone here has now switched to the "middle school" model of 6-8 and then high school from 9-12.

[amydavis]

School systems differ. For example, the concept of "middle school" was invented decades after I left the school system.

 

We had the strange situation of only grades 10-12 were housed in a building called a "high school". (Grades 7-9 were in a building called a "junior high.") What made things odd was that our grades for the 9th grade "counted" as part of the cumulative four-years of "high school". Our class standing and grade point included the results of all 9th grade coursework. So "on paper" we were in "high school", but socially, we still were in "junior high". :confused:

 

:iagree:

Yes, growing up only 10th-12th were in the high school building, but 9th grade certainly went on your transcript. We were freshmen, but in a junior high building. Now, the public schools include the 9th graders in the high school building. When I was a kid, the elementary contained up to 6th grade. Now, the middle school houses the 6th-8th graders.

[Tap]

I grew up with the jr. high buildings being 7-9th grade and the high school being 10-12 BUT 9th grade was still considered high school as you are acquiring high school credits.

 

The school system buildings have now changed in that town to middle school 6-8 and high school 9-12. It makes much more sense to have all the high school classes together in one building.

[emubird]

Where I grew up (in Los Angeles) it was 7-9 Jr High and 10-12 High school. None of our 9th grade grades were computed in our GPA or counted as credit - except that math and foreign language put us "ahead" in the sequence.

 

Where I am now: 6-8 is middle school and 9-12 is high school. I report my kids' classes from 9-12 (because that's what the colleges around here are used to seeing) with an added note about which "high school" classes they did before 9th grade. Math and foreign language count for that. Although my kids have probably done high school level work in 8th grade and below for other courses, I don't report it on the transcript. Colleges would see it as fluff.

[patchfire]

For me, I did 1-6 in one elementary school, and then 7-12 in one school, but 7-8 was considering "Lower School" or "Junior High," and 9-12 was "Upper School" or "High School."

 

Around here, it's K-5 elementary, 6-8 middle school, and 9-12 high school.

[edithcrawley]

Elementary K-4

Intermediate 5-6

Jr. High 7-8

High School 9-12

 

That was how it was for my district. Some of the other districts had a combined 5-8 building, and a few of the small private schools had a K-8 and a 9-12 building, or just one building for everybody.

[fivetails]

 

I've never heard of 9th grade not being considered a part of high school, whether or not it was in the same building. :confused:

 

..and I'd never heard of 9th being part of high school until this board. :laugh:

[KidsHappen]

When I started school I lived in a very small town and went to a K-12 school. Every other place I lived growing up was:

 

K-6 Elementary

7-8 Middle school

9-12 High school

 

Where we live now, it is:

 

K-5 Elementary

6-8 Middle

9-12 High school

 

I think that high school is universally 9-12 across the US due to the fact that kids need a certain amount of credits to graduate and it usually takes all four years to get them.

 

I think that 6th grade was changed to middle school due to the fact that children are maturing earlier these days and now fit in more with the older group of children than the younger.

[Cedarmom]

I put down 9-12th grade. However, on my son's transcript I did list a couple of 8th grade courses.

[BikeBookBread]

I grew up in the Seattle area with the following:

 

1 - 6 - grade school

7 - 8 - Jr. High

9 - 12 - High School

 

I graduated in 1986

 

Soon after graduating, things started to shift to the following:

 

1 - 5 - grade school

6 - 9 - middle school

10 - 12 - high school

 

Don't know what it is now up there.

 

I voted 9 - 12 as HS...

[Moira in MA]

I think the reason for so many variants is that is it never quite clear how to handle those 'difficult' grades -- K, 6 & 9 -- developmentally some are ready, others aren't.

 

Educators waffle about how to handle them, that is why you see the different structures. There is no one size fits all.

 

~jmho

Moira

[fivetails]

 

I think that high school is universally 9-12 across the US due to the fact that kids need a certain amount of credits to graduate and it usually takes all four years to get them.

 

 

 

Yeah I'm seeing the numbers up top, and wow.

 

I don't know how many credits Canadian high schools require - it likely varies from province to province anyway - but either it's less than US schools or it's worked out differently, because I've never known of anyone getting "credits" for grade nine...

[Dawn in OH]

Where I went to school, and all the surrounding cities that I am aware of, it looked like this:

 

K-6 Elementary school

 

7-8 Middle school

 

9-12 High school

[smrtmama]

It's regional. In the South, we have middle school (6-8) and high school (9-12). In place with junior high (6 or 7-9), high school doesn't start until 10th.

[fivetails]

Yeah I'm seeing the numbers up top, and wow.

 

I don't know how many credits Canadian high schools require - it likely varies from province to province anyway - but either it's less than US schools or it's worked out differently, because I've never known of anyone getting "credits" for grade nine...

 

 

Ha, obviously "credits" mean different things depending on where you are...because Alberta says ps kids need 100 "credits" to graduate and Prince Edward Island says they need 20. They must define them quite differently.

[spradlin02]

A waste of time.

[Lovin Learnin]

In the district where we live they have grade centers:

 

K-2 Primary

3-5 Intermediate

6-8 Middle

9-12 High

 

Each center is in a different building. The high school is a separate district from the elementary schools so it is run by different administrators.

[fivetails]

A waste of time.

:lol::lol::lol:

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

Now, in Quebec, elementary is K-6, secondary is 7-11 (no grade 12). However, the years that primarily count toward graduation and college admission are grades 10 & 11.

 

 

It's important to note though that 'college' admission over here is not the same. Grades 10 and 11 count for admission to CEGEP. And AFAIK, only the 2 or 3 years of CEGEP - depending on the program - will count to go to university.

 

So while we have no grade 12, in actuality we have a 12 and a 13 (and possibly a 14). They're just not called like that.

[Deb in NZ]

Growing up in VT high school was grades 9-12 (ages 14-17/18) Here in NZ the "grades" are as follows:

 

ages 3-5 = kindy

on 5th birthday begin NE (new entrance year)

ages 5-12 = Primary School (Years NE-8)

 

 

Some schools have a separate school for intermediate (years 7-8)

 

ages 13-18 = High School (Years 9-13)

 

 

Years 9-10 is jr. high school

 

 

 

Years 11-13 is sr. highschool (not everyone stays through year 13, many leave after year 11 or 12)

 

"credits" are only earned in Years 11-13 by passing assessments. No credit is given for being in or completing a class. NZ secondary certificates (NCEA 1-3) are gained by earning 80 "credits." NCEA 1 requires 80 credits at level 1 or higher of which 8 credits must be in numeracy & 8 credits must be in literacy. NCEA 2 requires 80 credits (60 credits at level 2+ or higher, 20 credits can be at level 1.) NCEA 3 requires 80 credits (60 credits at level 3+, 20 credits at level 2+.) University Entrance (UE) requires 42 credits to level 3+ (14 credits in each of 2 subjects from an approved list with a further 14 credits from no more than 2 additional approved subjects.) Many HSers here skip NCEA & take one year of correspondence school to earn UE. Dd never bothered with NCEA & Ds#1 is doing correspondence school to earn the credits he needs to enlist in the Navy. In 6 weeks he has earned 11 credits!

 

Compulsary schooling is ages 6-16. After age 16 students can move onto other educational opportunities or leave school all together. Dh left school at age 16 to begin a five year apprenticeship. dd & ds#1 began polytech part time at age 16.

Edited May 26, 2010 by Deb in NZ

[elegantlion]

A waste of time.

 

:lol::lol:

[Night Elf]

In the county where I went to school:

elementary school 1 - 7

high school 8 - 12

 

In the county where we live:

elementary 1 - 5

middle school 6 - 8

high school 9 - 12

[Guest Alte Veste Academy]

I completed 9th grade in an Alabama high school that served grades 9-12.

 

The next year, I completed 10th grade in a Texas high school that served 10-12.

 

Being at the the bottom of the barrel for two years in a row was uncool, to say the least. On the bright side, I finally got to choose "other" in a forum poll. :D